Bush promises to get India-US nuke deal through

Washington, Nov 9 (UNI) US President George W Bush resolved to get Congressional approval for the India-US civilian nuclear agreement, which awaits the Senate's endorsement, notwithstanding the electoral reverses suffered by the Republican Party.

Addressing a press conference at the White House yesterday after the big Democrat victory, Mr Bush, however, said he was not certain whether the deal would figure in the agenda of the session of the outgoing Senate.

''Yes, well, it may or may not come up. I am trying to get the deal done,'' he said in a brief reply to a question.

The House of Representatives had approved the measure in July last with certain amendments.

Though there is a strong lobby against the deal in the United States as in India for different reasons, according to observers, the House of Representatives' new composition would not have any effect on it.

An overwhelming majority of the members in the two houses of the Congress will still remain the same. For example, the 100-member Senate will have only six new faces, even if the withheld result of the disputed Virginia state goes in favour of the Democratic Party.

Moreover, indications are that Mr Joseph R Biden of Delaware State, a Democrat, will most probably hold the chairmanship of the new Senate Foreign Relations Committee who has, on several occasions, supported the India-US nuclear agreement.

Mr Biden, who was first elected to the United States Senate in 1972 at the age of 29, is recognised as one of the country's most powerful and influential voices on foreign relations.

Similarly, Democratic Congressman Tom Lantos of California is likely to chair the new House Committee on International Relations in place of Republican Party's Henry Hyde.

Mr Lantos too is an ardent supporter of the agreement. In fact, in May, he favoured a legislative compromise to ''keep the momentum for this important agreement moving forward.'' MORE UNI AD RR HS1131